Ten-year-old twins Kirsty and David Murray love their crofting life in
the north of Scotland. They collect shellfish, milk the cows and help
their father grow oats and vegetables. Then one day the Countess's men
come and burn their house, saying they must leave.
The family travel across Scotland to Glasgow. City life is dirty and
overcrowded, and work in the mills is hard and dangerous. The chance
comes to join a ship sailing for Hudson Bay in Canada, and once again
they start a long, perilous journey.
Will they survive the treacherous Atlantic crossing, and what will they
find in the strange new land?
Kathleen Fidler had a gift for bringing characters from history to life
for today's children. The Desperate Journey is her best-known story, a
true Scottish classic whose thrilling plot will keep children gripped
from start to end.